whose son Daunte Wright was killed by Brooklyn Center police in 2021 whose son Kobe Dimock-Heisler was killed by Brooklyn Center police in 2019 speak to press and community members outside of the Brooklyn Center Police Department.Nicole Neri for MPR News | 2024PlayListenFour years after Daunte Wright‘s death Brooklyn Center scales back police reformGo Deeper.CloseCreate an account or log in to save stories We have added it to a list of your favorite stories the Brooklyn Center City Council passed a resolution outlining public safety reforms It was named after Wright and Kobe Dimock-Heisler Activists say the city council is now backing away from the promises that were made four years ago the mother of Kobe Dimock-Heisler joined MPR News host Nina Moini to talk about how they have become close as they’ve pushed for changes to policing in the city The Brooklyn Center City Council is expected to vote Monday on whether to repeal the Community Violence Prevention and Public Safety Commission The Minnesota Now team reached out to the mayor as well as the three City Council members who have opposed the commission for comment  Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation We attempt to make transcripts for Minnesota Now available the next business day after a broadcast MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all Transcription services provided by 3Play Media We recognise you are attempting to access this website from a country belonging to the European Economic Area (EEA) including the EU which enforces the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and therefore cannot grant you access at this time e-mail us at contact@hometownsource.com or call us at 763-712-3544 The chain is a big deal to Central Americans living in the U.S Central Americans in the U.S. have been singing the gospel of the Guatemalan fried chicken chain Pollo Campero for over two decades passengers on flights from Guatemala and El Salvador are accustomed to the unmistakable whiff of the chain’s menu wafting from the overhead compartment When Pollo Campero opened the doors of its first Minnesota location in St. Paul in 2010 fans reacted to it with the same enthusiasm it wasn’t uncommon for the crew there to see customers make pilgrimages from hundreds of miles away and drop upwards of $400 to $500 per visit “You’ll have people driving from Des Moines because that’s closest Campero to them,” says Blas Escarcega vice president of franchise development for Pollo Campero “The issue is you can’t do it all the time so you can do it once The fast-food giant has yet to debut in Minnesota Pollo Campero first opened in Guatemala in 1971 with a menu that includes chicken that’s marinated before going into the fryer “They love the nostalgic feel,” says Escarcega and this allows them to kind of connect [with] back home.” The chain hopes to add another nine franchise locations in Minnesota as well as at least three new locations in the Chicago area Escarcega says that the company is also eyeing an expansion into Ohio Pollo Campero 1340 Shingle Creek Crossing in Brooklyn Center; open 10 a.m activists worry police reform they pushed for following the police killings of Daunte Wright and Kobe Dimock-Heisler will stall The police killing of Daunte Wright in 2021 sparked a push to overhaul public safety in Brooklyn Center but now frustrated activists are worried those efforts are stalling including adjusting its response to mental health calls and creating an office focused on a health-based approach to public safety where more conservative members hold the majority activists are pleading with city officials to deliver additional police reforms told the council it was “super disheartening” to hear it continue to host such debates “There’s been a lot of people that have said we’ve done everything that we should have done,‘” she said the city hasn’t made any changes that would have saved my son from a traffic stop.” Mayor April Graves said forming the commission is one of the last steps for the council to consider from the goals laid out four years ago when the suburb of 32,000 people was turned upside down by protests and calls for reform Graves said she views her job this year as finding ways for the new council to reach compromises so the work can progress rather than face the risk of policy changes being repealed The city has taken many “tangible steps,” she said “I can understand and empathize with community members who would like to see more I think that’s always the case when we’re talking about historical disparities historical discriminations and the slowness of systemic changes.” The council in December voted 3-2 to create the Community Safety and Violence Prevention Commission The board would review public safety policies and present alternatives to the council work with neighborhoods to understand needs and make recommendations related to the city’s response to protests As a city with a “small budget and big town issues,” Graves said she hopes the commission would help with best practices and strategies. She feels it also fits the intent of the city’s settlement with Wright’s family which called for the city to amend police training and policies “This is one way we can follow through on our word as a city and recognize harm was caused,” she said Two opposing council members in December pushed to reconsider the commission in the new year saying they hadn’t sufficient time to review the most updated resolution the council voted to freeze the establishment of the commission which raised concerns among some residents that the action could be further delayed or rolled back after debating language around the commission’s makeup and goals the council decided to push off a decision for at least another 30 days who voted for the establishment of the commission said she hopes the council is close to a compromise “There’s disagreement around some language or other things we will have to keep talking about including the scope of what the commission will look into,” Graves said While several council members seem willing to advance the idea with amendments “I have said at every meeting since the beginning of the year that I am opposed to this formation and implementation,” she said Monday Wright was killed at the age of 20 when he was shot by an officer during a traffic stop The police shootings led to calls for a reduced role for armed officers in the enforcement of traffic infractions mental health crises and low-level offenses The resolution approved by the City Council in 2021 sought the proposal of new ordinances and guidelines The city is now piloting a community response team of medical professionals and social workers to respond to mental health- or disability-related calls It also says the city may form an unarmed traffic unit to enforce all “non-moving traffic violations.” The city has vowed to review and update its use-of-force policies The city has since adopted a citation policy that tells officers to ticket offenders for traffic infractions or misdemeanors The council on Monday approved some amendments to its policy which officials said it updated to reflect the changes already made or considered more achievable today Council Member Dan Jerzak on Monday pushed for the city to stop rehashing the four-year-old resolution and to leave it as-is Jerzak said almost all of the reforms have now been approved or at least considered by the council “It doesn’t mean we can’t continue to grow and move forward.” In addition to the reforms considered in the resolution City Manager Reggie Edwards said the city has made progress by adjusting how it trains police with a focus on de-escalation as well as increasing collaboration across city departments on public safety issues In a blow to residents pushing for policy changes, the council in January 2024 voted 3-2 against a resolution that would have limited when police can initiate traffic stops The proposal would have prevented officers from stopping drivers for violations such as broken windshield wipers, a cracked windshield, a noisy muffler, or an improperly displayed or expired license plate. Amity Dimock, mother of Dimock-Heisler, told the council on Monday there have been talks about “revisiting the traffic stop” policy changes, “so let’s not forget about that.” Graves told the Star Tribune on Tuesday she doesn’t feel confident that if she were to bring up changing the traffic stop policy with the new council that the outcome would be any different. Dimock said residents' “goal is really to keep this community safer” and “for the ones that have been on board and not causing a slowdown on it, I really appreciate you.” Sarah Ritter covers the north metro for the Minnesota Star Tribune. Books Ariel Lawhon and Imani Perry also are coming to Hopkins for the popular Hennepin County Library series Hyperlocal cable TV stations that broadcast everything from high school sports to city government meetings confront a perilous existence The state’s 61st Teacher of the Year is the first from the Eden Prairie school district to win the award The Brooklyn Center Police Department said the boy believed to be between the ages of two and three was located in front of Brooklyn Center High School around 1 p.m Police are asking anyone with information regarding the child to call 911 and ask to speak with a Brooklyn Center police officer The boy is described as light-skinned and biracial police said the "residence the sweet boy left this afternoon has been located" and that "the investigation is ongoing." Brooklyn Center Police Department, Facebook Note: The details provided in this story are based on law enforcement’s latest version of events, and may be subject to change. suffering dogs were removed from her in-home business was sentenced to 300 months in prison in Rice County court on Friday Law enforcement is looking for information after a child was found unattended in Brooklyn Center on Tuesday afternoon Brooklyn Center police say a 2- to 3-year-old boy wearing a maroon jacket grey pants and brown boots was found walking in front of Brooklyn Center Secondary High School around 1 p.m If you have any information regarding the child please call 911 and ask to speak with a Brooklyn Center police officer Any person with disabilities who needs help accessing the content of the FCC Public File may contact KSTP via our online form or call 651-646-5555 A man is dead after reportedly being hit by a car late Thursday night in Brooklyn Center Brooklyn Center police say officers responded to the 6800 block of Humboldt Avenue around 10:22 p.m Life-saving measures were performed but the 26-year-old man was pronounced dead Investigators believe the man was hit by a vehicle that did not stop at the scene Police talked with multiple witnesses and were assisted by the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office Minnesota State Patrol and the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office a man was arrested and a vehicle was recovered in connection with the hit-and-run Anyone with information should call Hennepin County Dispatch at either 911 or 952-258-5321 and ask to speak with the Brooklyn Center Police Department